Hand In a Dragon's Mouth
by Kathryn Elwin
Summary: "'I just…don't know how I can be a Viking chief and still be me.'" Hiccup receives a priceless family heirloom from his father, but it prompts him to doubt his identity as a Viking. When Hiccup loses this gift, his search puts himself and Toothless in harm's way. Post-HtTYD1.
1. Chapter 1 of 3

Toothless' back arched, and Hiccup whooped as they sped upside down and shot out of the loop. The boy's head hung back and he stretched out his arms as far as they could go, letting the wind glide between his fingers. Far below, Astrid and Stormfly skimmed the sea in an equal state of bliss, for that day, Berk was sunnier than it had been for months.

To those with creaky joints and sickly complexions, the air was balmy and tempting. The sky was patchy, but sunlight poked through the clouds and sparkled off a nearby waterfall. It trickled down from Berk's highest peak and dissipated as it fell to the sea, chilling the air with its spray.

Astrid and Stormfly swooped straight up, and the boys whizzed past them. To stay on their tail, Hiccup and Toothless had to make a sharp turn that almost took them into a rock pillar. Astrid cackled and gracefully banked toward the waterfall. Moments later, the boys caught up, and they all landed on the patchy ground beside the water.

"Tired already?" Hiccup teased, sliding off Toothless' back.

Astrid smirked and reached into her saddlebag. "Nope, just hungry." She took out an apple and tossed it to Hiccup.

While he fumbled to catch it, Astrid sat on the edge of the water with an apple of her own and took a giant bite. Stormfly began preening herself in the water's reflection, but was interrupted when Toothless slinked up beside her and shot his claws into the water. With a hiss, she recoiled from the splash, and Toothless sniggered. When Hiccup gave him a reprimanding stare, Toothless all but rolled his eyes as he bent his head to the water for a drink. From a safe distance, Stormfly did the same, periodically shooting Toothless wary looks.

Shaking his head and chuckling at Toothless' antics, Hiccup sat next to Astrid. He rolled the apple over in his hands as he admired the shimmering horizon, drinking in the crisp sea air. The view was one of his favorite parts of flying, and it was gratifying that he, Hiccup the Useless, bane of his father's existence, had been the first to see Berk from the air. Of course, these past few years, the chief had been using Hiccup's accomplishments as an excuse to load him up with more expectations.

Suddenly panicked at the thought of his father, Hiccup pawed at his chest. He lifted a gold pendant from beneath his shirt, sighing with relief.

"What's that?" Astrid scooted closer and craned her neck to see what Hiccup was holding. He handed it to her, and she held it close to her nose, running her fingers over its surface. Expertly engraved into the golden disk was an image of the god Tyr, who stood tall and wore a serene, dignified expression. He held a spear in his left hand, and his right hand was in a giant dragon's mouth, resting among rows of razor-sharp teeth.

"Wow," she breathed. "Did your father give this to you?" She turned to face him with raised eyebrows, and Hiccup nodded.

* * *

Earlier that morning, at the break of dawn, Hiccup was finishing up a spare tail in the forge. He was bent over his workbench, making some final adjustments to the tail, when Stoick marched in. After his purposeful entrance, his eyes roamed around the smithy for a moment before he greeted Hiccup.

"Mornin', son."

"Morning, Dad," Hiccup replied as he twisted one last bolt into place. He set the wrench to the side and stood upright, wiping sweat off his brow.

Stoick twiddled his thumbs and shifted his eyes again. "What's that you're working on?"

"This," Hiccup began with a satisfied grin, holding up the tail for his father to see, "could come in handy someday. If something happens to Toothless' prosthetic, I can just replace it with this one."

"Good, good thinking…" Stoick mumbled. When Hiccup's smile faded, he put a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Son, I came here because I want to give you something." He reached toward a gold chain around his neck and pulled the pendant over his head, straightening his back as he handed it to Hiccup. "This has been passed down from father to son for generations. In fact…" With twinkling eyes, he gestured to the pendant, his chest swelling. "…that goes all the way back to Hildir Horrendous Haddock."

"Hildir the Executioner? Didn't he impale over a thousand people during his five-year reign?"

Stoick shrugged and waved his hand. "Never mind that! Look at it!" He nodded toward Hiccup with an eager, ruddy face.

Hiccup looked. It was a striking relic, marred only by the dents and scratches of age. Any Viking chief would be proud to own this rendition of Tyr, whom they all strove to imitate. Feeling a twinge of uncertainty, Hiccup looked up at his father's hopeful expression.

"The one-handed god of war?"

Stoick nodded, beaming. "Lately, I've been thinking of you every time I look at that old thing. You're going to be chief someday, and…well, our family has always tried to follow Tyr's example."

Hiccup barely concealed a frown. He didn't like to think about being chief, much less the kind of chief that Tyr embodied: fearless, uncompromising, and victorious in war. While Hiccup knew that passing down this pendant was an honored tradition, he didn't think he could ever be that kind of Viking.

When Hiccup didn't say anything, Stoick clapped him on the back, then leaned in and whispered, "You're more like Tyr than you think."

"What, because we both lost limbs to dragons?" Hiccup retorted, squinting his eyes and rotating his shoulder back. He had grown tall in the past couple years, but he still wasn't thick enough to withstand his father's cuffs.

Stoick didn't answer. He eyed Hiccup for a moment, the corners of his eyes crinkling, before turning to leave. On his way out the door, he gave one last piece of advice: "Take good care of it, Hiccup. It's very valuable."

* * *

"Do you not like it?" Astrid gave the pendant back to him, and he stuffed it in his pocket.

"It's not that, it's just…it's amazing how we've all changed, and my dad has probably changed more than just about anyone." Hiccup turned and rolled his apple to Toothless, who poked at it with a claw and chuffed. "But sometimes, I turn around and he's back to doing things the old way." The boy put his hands on his thighs and pushed himself to a stand, looking toward the horizon with a drawn expression. "And I can't help but think that what Tyr represents is…the old way," he finished.

"Hiccup, the 'old way' makes us who we are." Astrid took one last bite and hurled her apple core into the sea. "Just because our dragon-killing tradition was wrong doesn't mean _every_ tradition is."

She stood up, brushed herself off, and scanned the horizon, oblivious to his troubled expression. Hiccup knew she was right, but it was easy enough for _her_ to defend the "old way." Astrid had always been a traditional Viking through and through. Hiccup, on the other hand, was as nontraditional as a Viking could be. Berk accepted him well enough as a dragon expert, but he wondered if they could truly respect him as a leader.

"So, what should we do next?" Astrid's question cut off his anxious thoughts. She placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head toward a giant rock pillar in the distance. "Fancy a lap around Freyr's Peak?"

* * *

The day's recreation distracted Hiccup from thoughts of chiefdom. By mid-afternoon, they had raced around Freyr's Peak, explored Berk's gravelly beaches, and were even chased from a Fireworm cavern by a surly Queen. When they played tag around the rocks near Berk, the dragons grew so excited that they accidentally left behind a trail of scorch marks. Hiccup had no reason to be unhappy, for the day reminded him how close spring was, but as evening approached, clouds blanketed the sky, and the wind picked up.

"I think we should go back!" Astrid called as the sky continued to darken.

Hiccup nodded his agreement, but just as they turned to leave, he reached into his pocket and froze. His hands scrabbled across his body, but he knew it was no use: the pendant was gone. He smacked his forehead with a groan. _Of course_ he would lose a priceless family heirloom the same day he received it.

"Um, you know what? You just go back without me. I need to…check something," he piped.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Hiccup," she warned, pointing to the sky. The clouds were thickening by the minute. It looked like a storm was brewing, and a severe one at that.

"I won't be more than an hour, I promise." Astrid looked at him incredulously. As he and Toothless sped away, Hiccup cried, "I just really need to find something."

"If you're not back by then, I'm coming after you! Hey!" She hollered after them, but her words were lost on Hiccup as he and Toothless disappeared into the approaching clouds.

* * *

They had checked the waterfall and a couple beaches, and snow began to fall as Hiccup searched around Freyr's Peak. So far, he had found no clues to the pendant's location. The Fireworm cave and another beach were nearby, but the storm was already dangerously close, and Berk's lanterns were mere pinpricks in the distance. "It's probably at the bottom of the sea by now," he mumbled with a sigh, steering Toothless toward home.

He was wondering what he could possibly tell his father when a chilling gust sent shivers across his skin. The snow thickened until they could barely see the water below, and Hiccup rubbed his arms as the wind howled. Suddenly, a wall of rock materialized in front of them. With a yelp, Hiccup steered them hard to the right, but a blast of wind hit them on the side and drove them back. He clung to the saddle with white knuckles and grit his teeth as Toothless beat his wings and tail against the wind. Without warning, they pounded into rock and were knocked senseless, the world spinning around them as they tumbled forward in a dizzying descent.

Toothless roared and Hiccup dug his weight into the stirrups, feeling like his gut had been hallowed out. He twisted his head around to see what had happened, but there was too much wind, too much snow, and too much movement. The wind flung them around like ragdolls until the sea hit them like a rock.

* * *

How to Train Your Dragon © DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell


	2. Chapter 2 of 3

Hiccup's throat and eyes burned as he fought to pull his head above the heaving waves. He coughed and panted until he was lightheaded, and his chest felt like it was being compressed. Suddenly, something tugged at his middle and yanked him out of the water, dragging him across stone. Gasping and shivering, Hiccup whipped his head around. Relief coursed through him when he realized that he was still attached to the saddle, and that Toothless had clambered onto some nearby rocks.

The dragon's mouth was open, coughing and screaming into the flurry. Hiccup suspected that violent trembling kept him from safely firing plasma blasts, and when Toothless flapped his tail in frustration, Hiccup saw that the mechanical half had shattered. Unable to fly or make fire, they were stranded.

"T-Toothless, just r-relax," Hiccup spluttered, placing one hand on his dragon's side.

At the sound of Hiccup's voice, Toothless whirled around and stretched his head toward the boy with a moan. Hiccup's heart pounded as he planted his feet on the rock and steadied himself with quaking limbs. He leaned against Toothless, surveying their surroundings while his dragon's breath hovered about his head.

They had fallen right beside a rock column, and he saw two more through the snow, their features indistinct across the distance. Facing Toothless, he pointed to them and shouted, "I think we should go that way," but the dragon just stared at him miserably and settled his feet into the rock.

"I know it's cold, bud, but I don't know what else to do!" Hiccup bellowed above the wind as he unhooked himself from the saddle with shaky hands. He then crouched and lowered himself into the water with a gasp, hoping that Toothless would follow. Seeing that his human was not to be reasoned with, Toothless groaned and dove after Hiccup. When the dragon surfaced, he stretched out his wings above Hiccup's head and began a labored, uneven paddle. The boy followed, grateful for his friend's shelter.

With each rock pillar they approached, another one emerged from the snow to form a long line. Hiccup grew wearier as they swam, his fingers and toes aching. Then, ahead and to their left appeared shadowy, unforgiving outlines that solidified into rocks. Above them loomed a craggy cliff with a cave slashed through its side like a wound. For all Hiccup knew, the cave housed wild dragons, but at least they could wait out the storm in there.

Toothless folded his wings as they reached the rocks and struggled out of the water. Without Toothless' protection, Hiccup recoiled from wind that cut through him like a blade. Clenching his jaw, he reached to the left and pulled himself to the next rock, nearly falling back into the sea. When he approached the nearly-vertical cliff wall, he splayed his hands on its side and stood slowly, tilting his head back to see the precarious climb that awaited them. Within moments, Toothless was behind him and nudging his back, urging Hiccup to safety. When his human didn't act quickly enough, Toothless forced his head under Hiccup's legs and lifted him to the nearest ledge.

With numb fingers and shallow breaths, Hiccup began climbing while wind threatened to blow him back into the sea. His teeth chattered and every muscle was rigid. The snow froze his hair into clumps, and waves slammed into the rocks below, dousing him in spray. Finally, he reached the cave and pulled himself inside. It was pitch black and surprisingly cozy, but he could not enjoy its safety just yet. He turned around to watch Toothless follow.

The dragon wheezed when he began the climb. His shaky legs failed to support him, and he fell before his tail was off the ground. In a moment of pity, Hiccup wished they had returned to Berk with Astrid. It pained him to see Toothless struggle like this.

With a snort and a shake of the head, Toothless tried again, hurtling upward and flapping his wings. He labored from foothold to foothold, and Hiccup scooched aside as Toothless pulled himself just inside the cave. The dragon immediately collapsed into a motionless heap, his tail dangling over the cave opening. With leaden limbs, Hiccup peeled off his clothes and spread them on the cave floor. He crawled to Toothless and curled up beside him, shivering as he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, Hiccup was on a rock high above the sea. Storm clouds gathered on the horizon, and the air was muggy. Tyr stood before him with a dragon, and the scene was otherwise identical to the pendant's image, except this dragon was smaller, sleeker, and darker. Hiccup blinked.

"Toothless?"

Tyr turned, and his flinty eyes bore through Hiccup. Suddenly, Toothless snarled and snapped his teeth on Tyr's wrist. The god's shriek made the sea tremble, and his blood pooled on the ground and flowed outward. Hiccup blanched when Toothless tossed his head back and gulped with a chortle.

"Hiccup," Tyr rumbled as he held out the spear, his expression as stony as before. "You need to take care of this."

Hiccup was horrified. His father's voice sounded from Tyr's mouth.

"Look, I don't know why Toothless did that, but please let me…"

"Take care of 'im."

Though his dragon wore a fiendish leer, Hiccup knew he could never harm Toothless. But Tyr, the god who had coolly faced dismemberment, wouldn't tolerate defiance. Hiccup trembled.

"Please, there has to be another way to…"

"Take care of 'im, Hiccup."

"You don't have to do this…"

"Hiccup…"

"Dad, _please_!"

"_Enough_!"

Tyr's voice suddenly thundered, knocking Hiccup off his feet. The god stared down at him, and his gaze nauseated Hiccup.

"Even if _you_ are afraid to serve justice," Tyr began, raising the spear above his head, "I am not!"

The boy cried out to Toothless, who had bowed his head to the god. Hiccup leapt to his feet and ran, stumbling to a stop in front of Tyr. Looking up, he saw the spear's point, ready to be driven through his forehead.

* * *

Hiccup jerked awake. With a pounding heart, he sat up and put a hand to his brow. His skin was sticky and his extremities tingled.

He knew that Tyr wasn't some terrifying executioner, but thinking of him filled Hiccup with dread. As much as he wanted to please his father, honor and victory didn't matter much to Hiccup. He just couldn't shake the feeling that Berk needed a more Viking-like chief. Battling the Red Death was the most Viking-like thing he had ever done, but to this day, remembering it gave him chills. He recalled the terror of flying over his father's army and setting a massive dragon aflame, deeds that would thrill any other red-blooded Viking. Shuddering, Hiccup remembered how Tyr's blood had flowed hot and free.

A soft hiss broke through Hiccup's reverie. He froze. Tilting his head back, Hiccup saw dozens of Fireworms swarming on the ceiling. They scattered when he stood up, scuttling down the walls and approaching Toothless. By the dull light they produced, Hiccup could see the cave properly, and he recognized it from earlier that day.

"The Fireworm cavern," he whispered. Between darkness and disorientation, he hadn't noticed before. That afternoon, he and Astrid had gone in to explore and found a tunnel leading down to the cavern's main chamber, which had crawled with Fireworms. Their Queen had chased him and Astrid out, and the pendant could have easily fallen from his pocket when he ran away.

Hiccup reached for his clothes, and he was pulling them back on when Toothless groaned. He looked over and dropped to his knees when he saw a deep cut in Toothless' side, along with several other scrapes. Wasting no time, he yanked up the bottom of his shirt, grasped it between his teeth, and tore. When he wadded up this cloth strip and pressed it to the cut, Toothless tensed his muscles and growled. The Fireworms drew near as Hiccup laid one hand on his dragon's side.

He frowned when he felt how cold Toothless was. He tried removing the saddle, but it was frozen to Toothless' scales. Shooing away the especially curious Fireworms, Hiccup pressed the metal clasps beneath his palms to melt the ice, then undid them and let the saddle fall away from Toothless' back. He did the same for the rest of the flying equipment, then moved to sit by Toothless' head, stroking his dragon's neck in little circles.

After a short time, Toothless stirred and stretched his legs. He wobbled upright and shook himself awake with a snort, regarding Hiccup through drooping eyelids. The boy chuckled and stood with a crooked, reassuring grin. Placing one hand on top of Toothless' head and the other under his chin, Hiccup crooned, "Hey, there you go. Up and around in no time." Toothless yawned, then stretched out his tongue to lick Hiccup's face. The boy cringed, then laughed, his heart suddenly light.

Just then, a Fireworm crawled onto Toothless' foot and glowed bright. Jumping back, Toothless yelped and shot fire on the ground. Though the flames only flickered for a moment, the Fireworms scampered away and disappeared, following Toothless' echoes to the cavern below.

"C'mon, Toothless, you didn't need to do that," Hiccup chided.

The dragon licked his foot and chattered, displeased that his human was siding with those worms.

"You know as well as I do that Fireworms don't like…"

Hiccup was interrupted by a shriek that rumbled deep beneath their feet.

"…flames."

* * *

How to Train Your Dragon © DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell


	3. Chapter 3 of 3

Hello, dear readers!

I've adjusted the chapter break, so the beginning of chapter 3 is now the end of chapter 2. I've also made a couple minor edits to address the plot holes a guest reviewer pointed out.

Thanks for your time, and without further ado, chapter 3!

* * *

With half-outstretched wings, Toothless glared and crouched to the floor as a rush of noise reverberated through the rock, building to a terrifying climax. Without warning, Toothless lunged at Hiccup, grasping the back of his shirt between his teeth, and pulled him out of the cave. Hiccup yelped as Toothless pounced up the cliffside, banging him into stone with each leap.

Toothless suddenly bounded forward and dropped Hiccup onto icy rock. They were on top of the cliff and completely surrounded by snow and sea. A screech ripped through the air, and Hiccup turned his head away, guarding himself against a hot blast of wind. When he looked up, the Fireworm Queen was hovering above them, her talons outstretched.

Toothless arched his back and bared his teeth as he shifted in front of Hiccup, who patted his back and squeaked, "Take it easy, bud, she's just…"

The Queen cawed and swooped toward them. Hiccup fell to the side as Toothless leapt at her, his jaw snapping the air beside her head. The Queen lunged at him and their bodies interlocked as they swung their claws. Suddenly, the Queen blazed and Toothless jerked away with a cry. He limped a few steps and turned to snarl at her. He was panting, and Hiccup saw his cut bleeding freely again. Toothless and the Queen glared at each other, then opened their mouths to shoot…

"Stop!"

Hiccup leapt to his feet and ran between them, facing the Queen with raised hands. The heat she gave off made his cheeks tingle. A menacing, throaty hiss rumbled from her mouth, and Hiccup could see all of her razor-sharp teeth. She shifted her back left foot, and Hiccup noticed that it was swollen. He gulped and took a deep, shaky breath.

"It's okay. I know why you're angry," he crooned, taking a step forward. Squinting, Hiccup saw a golden glint around her talons. His eyes widened. Somehow, his pendant had tangled itself around the Queen's foot. "It looks like you've hurt yourself pretty badly," he murmured as he took another baby step forward. "I can help if you just let me."

He was now inches away from her teeth. With trembling legs, he reached out his left hand and turned his head away. Her parching breath grazed his palm, and then he heard a quick hiss…

Toothless pushed him to the ground, but not quickly enough. Hiccup cried out as the Queen shot fire, scorching his hand and singing his sleeve. With a roar, Toothless crouched over him and fired at the Queen's feet. She backed up a few paces, but held her ground, opening her mouth to…

"Look out!"

Astrid and Stormfly zipped out of the snow, spitting fire on the rocks. With rolling eyes, the Queen brayed and stumbled backward. Toothless fired one last shot, and she dove out of sight, bawling all the way back to her cavern. As Stormfly's talons scraped the rocks, Toothless slinked to the edge and shouted after the Queen, driving her further away from the vicious Night Fury and his human.

"Are you all right?" Astrid called to Hiccup. When he nodded, she jumped to the ground and started struggling with a bulky object on Stormfly's back.

Hiccup winced and looked at his burnt hand through watery eyes. It was bright red and stung with each gust of wind. Purring and wide-eyed, Toothless padded toward him and, pausing to stare for a moment, softly licked Hiccup's hand. The boy grimaced at first, then smiled and stroked Toothless' forehead.

"At least she didn't _bite _it off, eh Toothless?"

Hiccup flinched when Stormfly's cargo hit the ground with a loud clank. Astrid ignored it, dragging two large blankets over to the boys. Toothless cooed at her as she draped the blankets over their backs, and she smiled in return.

"Told you I'd find you guys." Her smile twitched into a smirk.

"Thanks, Astrid." Hiccup gave her a small grin as he pulled the blanket tighter around his torso. "How_ did_ you find us?"

"Those scorch marks we made start at Berk, so I just followed them and made new marks as I went. That way, we can just follow them back," Astrid began, walking back to Stormfly.

She fished through her saddlebag and brought out a canteen of water, which she offered to Hiccup. Instead of drinking from it, he poured a little over his injured hand, then lifted Toothless' blanket to wash his dragon's cut. Meanwhile, Astrid continued.

"I figured you'd lost that pendant, so I checked a couple beaches and caves before coming this way, and when I got here…" She trailed off, running her eyes over Hiccup's damaged shirt and red hand. "I guess I was a little late."

"Well, you'll be pleased to know that I found the pendant," Hiccup announced as he wiped Toothless' side with his sleeve. "It's tangled around that Queen's foot."

Astrid blinked. "Is she the one we saw today?"

"I think so," Hiccup answered, lowering the blanket back over Toothless' side. "I must have dropped it when she chased us out."

Shaking her head, Astrid rose to fetch the object she first unloaded. Grimacing at the sound of metal scraping rock, Hiccup turned and saw that she had brought the spare tail he finished that morning. He stood and helped her move it to Toothless, then knelt and started detaching the broken tail.

"Your dad needed a lot of convincing to let me come out here by myself," Astrid huffed as she sat beside Hiccup. "You're lucky he likes me so much. Otherwise, he would have sent a small army to look for you."

Hiccup responded with a distracted grunt as he shoved the old tail to the side.

Seeing his pinched face, Astrid asked, "What is it?"

He dragged the spare tail closer and answered, "I've been thinking, and…I'm not like Tyr."

"Hiccup, you've already proven that you're capable…"

"No, Astrid." He paused and glanced at her with a knotted brow. "I don't want to be."

He looked back down and started attaching the spare tail before continuing.

"I can't kill in cold blood, and I don't want to do it in battle, but if Berk's in danger, I'm going to have to." He huffed and sat back on his heels. "I mean, victory and honor are great and all, but since Toothless, my priorities have completely changed. I've worked so hard for peace that I just…don't know how I can be a Viking chief and still be _me_."

Astrid nudged his shoulder and Hiccup froze for a moment, studying her out of the corner of his eye. Nearly three years had passed since their first kiss, yet he _still _wasn't used to having her so close. Cautiously, he extended his arm to invite her under the blanket, and she scooted closer, pulling the fabric across her body.

"Like it or not, dealing with enemies will be part of your job, Hiccup," she began, leaning her head toward his. A few loose hairs brushed his cheek. "But Tyr isn't just a war god. He's a god of justice and courage. You think you can't be Hiccup _and_ a chief, but Tyr didn't put his hand in that dragon's mouth to show off how brave he was."

She prodded his metal leg with her foot and gently took his left hand in her own.

"He did it to protect his people."

Hiccup had been staring at the ground, but when she said this, he looked up and locked eyes with her.

"You're more like Tyr than you think."

He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, and the right side of his mouth tugged upward. For the first time that day, amid the snow and the sea, Hiccup felt strong and proud. He felt like a Viking.

* * *

And then they made out. The end.

Your reviews, favorites, and follows have been encouraging and wonderful, and I appreciate your feedback! Thank you so much for reading my story!

* * *

How to Train Your Dragon © DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell


	4. Bonus Scene

...Wait, you actually want to /see/ them making out?

Ugh, fine.

* * *

Astrid was the first to break eye contact, reaching her hands up to Hiccup's head. When she took a section of hair in her fingers and started braiding, Hiccup brimmed with warmth. He wanted to kiss her, but he wasn't sure how to begin. Out of the kisses they had shared, he had only initiated two, and both had been poorly executed. The first time, he had missed her lips altogether, and the second time, he had leaned in so quickly that their teeth collided. Hiccup's mouth hurt just thinking about it.

With shaking fingers, he brushed a few loose hairs away from her face, ignoring all his doubts. Her hands froze, and she gawked at him, stunned by his initiative. A smile played at her lips as she moved her hands to his shoulders and tilted her head. Taking a deep breath, Hiccup leaned in, closing his eyes as a warm, moist tongue slid up his cheek…

"Gah! _Toothless_!"

The dragon guffawed and pranced out of the way when Hiccup swiped at him. Astrid fell backward, her sides shaking with silent laughter, while Hiccup scrubbed his face with his sleeves.

"Toothless, you're a terrible wingman."

The dragon rolled and exposed his belly, tongue lolling out of his mouth. Stormfly tromped over and squawked, disturbed by the commotion.

"Enough fooling around. It's time to get back," Astrid declared as she stood up, chuckling and biting her lower lip.

"Hey, _I'm _not the one fooling around," Hiccup griped. Astrid held out her hand, and he passed her the canteen. "We were having a delightful moment until _he _interrupted."

Astrid dropped the canteen into Stormfly's saddlebag with a snicker.

"Yes, you were being all macho and taking the lead," she teased as she socked him in the shoulder, laughing harder when he winced and rubbed his arm.

"Yeah, well, I know better now."

"Oh, don't be like that," Astrid told him, gathering the blankets in her arms. Simpering, she stuffed them into the saddlebag and mounted Stormfly. "You'll get another chance once we return to Berk."

When Hiccup raised an eyebrow, she added, "I like it when you take charge. You should do it more often."

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he turned away, and Astrid could have sworn he puffed his chest out as he strolled—no, swaggered—back to Toothless. She snorted and shook her head.

What a goofball.

* * *

This chapter is dedicated to my inspiring, helpful, and hilarious beta reader, nicoli-boli. I'm pretty sure she was kidding when she requested an extended scene, but it sounded like fun to write, so here it is! Thanks again for reading!

* * *

How to Train Your Dragon © DreamWorks Animation and Cressida Cowell


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